This time around there are two different issues and they both involve second generation Prius’ (those built between August 2003 through March 30, 2009). The first being a problem with the steering that Toyota admits is the result of a design flaw, specifically “insufficient hardness” on a piece called the “intermediate shaft”(we’ve all been there, am I right? Hello?). All can’t-get-it-up jokes aside, Toyota’s spokesman for safety issues in the U.S., Brian Lyons, tells USA Today the insufficient hardness can lead to, “splines, or ridges to wear and deform, causing noisy steering and in extreme situations — such as holding the steering wheel completely to the right or left, as in a tight parking spot — the car can feel as if it has lost steering.”

If that wasn’t a big enough kick in the gut for the company who so famously recalled over 12 million vehicles in 2009 due to sticky gas pedals, a second recall has been issued for faulty water pumps on the same models. Faulty electrical wiring can corrode inside the pump, causing more resistance in the circuit, triggering the dashboard light or potentially blowing a fuse.

Fortunately no injuries or fatalities have been reported as a result of the issues.

If your vehicle is on the recall list, you will be notified by Toyota starting next month. In the steering recall, Toyota dealers will inspect the shaft and replace it if needed. The inspection and repair will take about an hour. For the cooling recall, dealers will replace the hybrid system’s water pump, a job that Toyota says takes about two hours.

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